France's 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 ended in controversy after Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill admitted he "lost his temper" and threw the ball at Kylian Mbappe following the final whistle.
The heated incident came after Mbappe appeared to ignore Gill's attempt to shake hands before celebrating France's hard-fought victory with supporters.
Orlando Gill admits he 'lost my temper'
Following the match, Gill explained what led to the confrontation, saying he became frustrated after Mbappe walked past him.
"I tried to shake his hand, but since he didn't pay me any attention, I lost my temper. "
The goalkeeper added that the incident ended there.
"But anyway, that was all I did; I calmed down afterward. "
Television footage showed Gill throwing the ball
at Mbappe's back as the France captain headed towards the French fans. Mbappe did not react to the incident and continued his celebrations.
Mbappe fires France into the quarter-finals
The only goal of the match came in the 69th minute when Mbappe converted a penalty after a VAR review awarded France a spot-kick for a foul on Desire Doue.
The strike proved enough to secure a 1-0 victory in a bruising contest in Philadelphia, sending Didier Deschamps' side into the quarter-finals.
The goal also took Mbappe to seven goals at the tournament, drawing him level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.
'We know how to play dirty football too'
Mbappe praised France's resilience after overcoming Paraguay's physical approach, insisting his side had shown they could win ugly when required.
"I think we knew what kind of match we were going to have. Today we showed that we weren't just a team that knew how to play offensive football. "
The France captain added that his team were prepared to match Paraguay's physicality.
"If we have to get our hands dirty, we're going to get our hands dirty. We don't have a problem with that. "
Mbappe also dismissed the perception that France only rely on stylish football.
"They thought we were going to come playing in tuxedos. We know how to play dirty football, too. And we did it today, we won, and even in that, we were better than them. "
France to face Morocco next
France's narrow victory sets up a blockbuster World Cup quarter-final against Morocco as Les Bleus continue their pursuit of another world title.
While Mbappe's penalty ultimately decided the contest, the post-match flashpoint involving Gill ensured the Round of 16 encounter ended with almost as much drama as it contained during the 90 minutes.
